Ocarina of Time Switch 2 release date: November 5, 2026
The Ocarina of Time Switch 2 release date is November 5, 2026. Nintendo's US news page, published October 14 alongside a new overview trailer, describes the game as "completely reborn for the Nintendo Switch 2 system and launching Nov. 5." It is listed for Switch 2 only. There is no Switch 1 version, no PC release and no Nintendo Switch Online route to it, so anyone who wants this remake needs the newer console.
The date itself is not new. Engadget reported that the release date was revealed at the end of a long segment in a Zelda-focused Nintendo Direct on September 8, 2026, the series' 40th anniversary showcase, and that Nintendo had first confirmed the remake in June without showing any gameplay. What changed this week is detail. The October 14 trailer and Nintendo's accompanying post spell out the price, the headline features and the accessories, which is why this is the moment to pin down what is actually confirmed.
Price, editions and the accessories Nintendo has listed
Nintendo's US page gives the regular price of the Switch 2 game as $59.99. Two other items sit beside it: an Electric Ocarina accessory at $49.99, and two new amiibo, Young Link and Young Zelda, at $24.99 each. The amiibo are due in 2027 and unlock special in-game masks, while existing Legend of Zelda amiibo also give rewards when tapped during play. Amiibo are sold separately.
Coverage elsewhere mentions a higher $69.99 price point and a foil physical box. We could not tie either figure to a Nintendo page opened for this report, so treat them as unconfirmed and check the eShop or your retailer before pre-ordering. Nintendo also said a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console with matching accessories arrives on October 29, a week before the game, according to the Nintendo regional news post announcing the anniversary slate. That hardware is a separate purchase and is not required to play.
“The Nintendo Switch 2 microphone will hear your song and cause Link's ocarina in the game to respond!”
What Nintendo says is new in the remake
Nintendo's list is specific. The visuals are overhauled, cutscenes are "fully voiced" with expanded dialogue, and the soundtrack gets "full symphonic orchestral music." There is also a new area called the Hall of Fallen Heroes, which Nintendo describes as statues of defeated monsters where players can learn about each one or fight them again in rematches. The game is rated Animated Blood and Fantasy Violence by the ESRB.
The hook is the microphone. Per Nintendo, players can hum a melody Link has learned, or play it on a real instrument, and the Switch 2 microphone will respond by having Link's in-game ocarina play along. It is the sort of feature that sounds like a gimmick until you remember the whole game is built around playing songs. Nintendo Life also points to a tie-in with Zelda Notes, a service inside the Nintendo Switch App that requires a Nintendo Account and a persistent internet connection, with data charges possibly applying.
A faithful remake, not a reimagining
Hands-off previews from the September Direct suggest Nintendo is staying close to the 1998 blueprint. Engadget wrote that it "looks like a faithful remake that doesn't mess with the formula of the 1998 game," with the same dungeons, items and Z-targeting combat. Nintendo Life reached a similar conclusion, calling it mostly a 1:1 rebuild with modernised environments and quality-of-life changes, and noting that Link can now jump at the press of a button.
Some of those changes are small but telling. Engadget saw a new quest log in the menu that shows progress and the next objective, and a faster item-swapping shortcut similar to newer Zelda games. Nintendo Life observed that some shops and areas now load seamlessly, while the Deku Tree and Hyrule Field still show transition screens, which it said preserves the original feel. Link can also roll and dash across long distances in Hyrule Field, with no stamina gauge visible in the footage. Footage showed Kokiri Forest, Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle Town.
How we got here: the second remake of a 1998 game
Ocarina of Time first reached the Nintendo 64 on November 21, 1998 in Japan, November 23 in North America and December 11 in Europe, according to the release dates compiled on Wikipedia. It was the series' first 3D game, introduced lock-on targeting and debuted Epona, and it began life as Zelda 64 for the Japan-only 64DD before moving to cartridge when that hardware slipped. A 3DS remake, Ocarina of Time 3D, followed in June 2011. The Switch 2 version is therefore the second remake, not the first rebuild.
The timing is deliberate. Nintendo is marking 40 years of The Legend of Zelda and has stacked the anniversary with hardware, amiibo, a global concert series next year and a live-action film, simply titled The Legend of Zelda, scheduled for theatres worldwide on April 30, 2027 from Nintendo, Arad Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment. A November 5 launch puts the remake in the holiday window with a week of runway after the console bundle.
What is still unconfirmed
Several things readers ask about are not in Nintendo's own material. The company has not said how long the game takes, whether the original Nintendo 64 version will remain available through Nintendo Switch Online, or whether a Master Quest style second quest is included. The October 14 post does not mention a museum mode or a boss time-trial mode, which one retailer-adjacent site listed from a related article, so we are not counting them until Nintendo confirms them.
Performance is the other open question. Nintendo has not published a frame rate or resolution target for handheld or docked play in the pages we read, and the September previews were hands-off footage rather than playable builds. Until reviewers get code, the safe reading is that the structure is known and the feel is not. We will update this piece when Nintendo publishes more.
Who it is for and what to do before November 5
If you own a Switch 2 and have never played Ocarina of Time, this is the version Nintendo clearly wants to be the default. If you played the 3DS remake or emulated the original, the new voice acting, orchestral score and Hall of Fallen Heroes are the reasons to return, and the mic-based ocarina is the one genuinely new way to play. If you are weighing it against the series' newer open-world games, remember this is a linear, dungeon-driven adventure by design.
Practically, pre-order from a source that shows the $59.99 Nintendo price, decide whether the accessory and amiibo matter to you before they sell out, and keep an eye on Nintendo's own store pages rather than aggregator sites, several of which conflict on price. The hum-to-play feature relies on the console's built-in microphone, so no extra hardware is needed for it.
Frequently asked
What is the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 release date?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, according to Nintendo's US news page published October 14, 2026. The date was first revealed in a Zelda-focused Nintendo Direct on September 8, 2026. It is a Switch 2 exclusive, so there is no Nintendo Switch 1, PC or PlayStation version announced. Nintendo describes the game as completely reborn for the new console, with rebuilt visuals, voiced cutscenes and new features.
How much does Ocarina of Time cost on Switch 2?
Nintendo's US page lists the regular price of the Switch 2 game at $59.99. The Electric Ocarina accessory is $49.99, and the Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo are $24.99 each, arriving in 2027. Some coverage mentions a $69.99 price point for a physical edition, but we could not confirm that against a Nintendo page, so check the eShop or your retailer for the exact price before you pre-order.
Is Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 a remake or a remaster?
Nintendo and the press call it a remake. Nintendo says the game is completely reborn for Switch 2, with overhauled visuals, fully voiced cutscenes with expanded dialogue and full symphonic orchestral music. Engadget describes it as a faithful remake that keeps the 1998 formula, and Nintendo Life calls it mostly a 1:1 rebuild with quality-of-life changes such as a jump button. It is the second remake after Ocarina of Time 3D on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
What new features does the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake have?
Nintendo lists fully voiced cutscenes with expanded dialogue, full symphonic orchestral music, microphone support that lets you hum a learned melody so Link's ocarina plays along, and the Hall of Fallen Heroes, where you can learn about defeated monsters or fight them again. Previews also noted a button jump, a quest log, quicker item swapping and a reworked camera. Zelda Notes in the Nintendo Switch App adds a companion service that needs a Nintendo Account and an internet connection.
Do I need a Switch 2 to play the Ocarina of Time remake?
Yes. Nintendo lists the platform as Nintendo Switch 2 only, and the November 5 launch applies to that console. There is no announced version for the original Switch. The hum-to-play feature uses the Switch 2's built-in microphone, so no extra accessory is required for it. The Electric Ocarina is an optional $49.99 accessory, and a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console is a separate purchase arriving October 29.
When did the original Ocarina of Time come out?
Ocarina of Time first released on the Nintendo 64 in Japan on November 21, 1998, in North America on November 23, 1998 and in Europe on December 11, 1998, according to the release dates compiled on Wikipedia. It was the first 3D game in the series and introduced lock-on targeting. A 3DS remake, Ocarina of Time 3D, followed in June 2011, making the Switch 2 version the second remake of the game.